Bat Cave Challenge 1: Ranger
by MiamiBabe
Summary: Ranger and Tank talking about Ranger's relataionship with Stephanie during the time he was FTA.


_**Bat Cave Challenge #1: Ranger**_

_**Okay this is the first challenge I've ever tried to answer, so I hope you guys enjoy. **_

_**I'm going to take a page from my fellow BatBabe Stayce, and ask you to please review and let me know what you think of my little story. **_

_**JE owns all of them, I just take them out to play every once and awhile. I currently have Ranger under my desk ;) **_

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Excerpts from Hot Six (paperback pages 255-256)

_I redialed Ranger and told him about Stolle. _

"_I want you to go home and lock yourself in your apartment," Ranger said. "I'm going to send Tank to pick you up." _

"_And then what?" _

"_Then I'm putting you someplace safe until I can straighten this out." _

"_I don't think so." _

"_Don't give me a hard time on this," Ranger said. "I've got enough problems." _

"_Well solve your damn problems. And solve them fast!" And I disconnected. Okay, so I lost it. I'd had a stressful day._

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Tank watched Ranger as he spoke to Stephanie. He chuckled softly to himself as he saw the expressions that crossed over Ranger's face while he listened to her respond to his orders.

Ranger looked up when he heard Tank and gave him his 'I heard that and I don't think it's funny' glare. But his glare turned into an expression that Tank had never seen before, at least not on Ranger's face…he wore a look of shock.

Tank's amusement quickly turned into concern. He hoped that Bombshell wasn't in a dangerous situation again.

"Hey are you okay?" Asked Tank. "Is Bombshell okay?"

Ranger fixed his gaze on Tank again and just stared at him for what seemed an eternity before he answered in a voice filled with disbelief. "She hung up on me. She told me to solve my problems fast and then hung up on me."

Relief flooded Tank's body. They had enough trouble with Ranger being FTA and being hunted down as the prime suspect for a murder. The last thing they needed was to have to go rescue Stephanie, too.

Once Ranger's words sunk in and Tank knew there weren't any new complications, he threw his head back and started laughing. All out, head thrown back laughing. He'd never seen someone get under Ranger's skin the way Stephanie did. If someone would've asked him a year ago, if there was a woman that could give Ranger a run for his money, he would have never in a million years said yes…let alone think it would be Stephanie.

"Shut up. It isn't funny." Ranger barked out.

Having brought his laughter into control, he chuckled as he replied. "Yes, it is."

"Asshole." Muttered Ranger.

Tank couldn't resist teasing him. "Who would've thought that badass Ranger would get his ass whipped by a pretty little white girl from the 'Burg."

"Fuck off."

"Wait a minute. Are you banging her?"

"No! I'm not anything with her. I'm just her mentor and…well friend I guess."

"Friend?" Tank asked surprised since Ranger called very few people friend. "Since when?"

Ranger looked thoughtful as he searched for the right words. "I don't know I guess for a while now. I'm not exactly sure anymore, but I have no doubt she is definitely my friend."

"What makes you so sure she's someone you can really trust?"

Ranger looked right into Tank's face and with quiet conviction he replied, "Since this whole mess started. She never once questioned my innocence, even when everybody was telling her that all the evidence pointed towards me. The only thing she wanted to know was if I was okay."

Tank took a few minutes to let Ranger's words sink in before he asked, "Is that why you asked for her help?"

"Yeah. How many people at first believed in my innocence…three or four, maybe? And that was counting guys I've known for years. Yet she never doubted me. I knew I could trust her with my back, and she's proved me right. She has done everything I've asked and not once has she ratted me out…not to Vinnie, Morelli or even her friends."

"I didn't know." Tank quietly replied. "I guess there's more to her than meets the eye."

With an almost smile Ranger repeated, "Yeah, definitely more than meets the eye."


End file.
